The instant invention relates to a punch for forming holes in gasket material. Specifically, the punch of the instant invention is a small, portable hand-held device which may be used at a gasket installation site for preparing gasket material prior to installation.
Placement of gasket material, and more particularly placement of gasket material in boilers on board ships requires the precise positioning of holes in gasket material so that the gasket may be properly placed over bolts or pins which are located on one part of the unit to be sealed prior to the position of the second part of the unit. The general method of forming holes in the gasket material is by means of a hand-held punch and a hammer.
Although some forms of hydraulically operated punches are known, they are either too large and heavy to be convenient or require use of a liquid, pressurized power source, which is generally not available at the installation site.
An object of the instant invention is to provide a small, light weight, hand-held gasket punch which is easily manipulated with one hand.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a hand-held gasket punch which is pneumatically operated.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a hand-held gasket punch which includes means for properly aligning the punch relative the gasket material.
Yet another object of the instant is to provide a handheld gasket punch which is easily adaptable to punch holes of various sizes in gasket material.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a hand-held gasket punch which includes means for automatically stripping the punched gasket material from the punching element.
The gasket punch of the instant invention includes a frame having a grip integrally formed therewith, a piston chamber located ahead of the grip, and a die platform spaced beneath the piston chamber, also ahead of the grip. The punch includes a fluid connector for connecting the punch to a pressurized fluid supply. A piston and shaft are mounted for reciprocating movement in the piston chamber and are operable to receive a punch element on the free end of the piston shaft. Punch and die elements are provided to form holes of various sizes. The punch and die elements are interchangeable. A resilient stripping element is provided for each punch element to remove the punched gasket material from the punch element. An adjustable bail and plural guide elements are provided to accurately position the punch relative the gasket material to be punched. A trigger valve is provided to connect the fluid supply with an upper portion of the piston chamber, thereby causing the piston to move downwards, carrying the punch element therewith and forming a hole in the gasket material.
These and other objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more fully apparent as the description which follows is read in conjunction with the drawings